The boat comes in again at Customs House

When the Boat Comes In Part 2: The Hungry Years was penned by Peter Mitchell, son of the man who created the long-running Tyneside saga, James Mitchell.

Director Katy Weir and the rest of the cast, led by Jamie Brown as Jack Ford, also return to the Customs House, South Shields, for the next instalment of the tale, which follows the trials and tribulations of its characters

during the inter-war years in the fictional town of Gallowshield.

Catch up with former army sergeant Jack now married to a pregnant Dolly, with no job, no prospects and no hope of escape.

The Twenties are no longer roaring on Tyneside and the region is hit by an economic slump.

Ever resourceful and with an eye for the main chance, Jack identifies a way out and a way up, but as he focuses on the future, the present is blocked by hatred, jealousy and tragedy.

Peter said: “It was extraordinarily heartening to see the reactions of the audience to When the Boat Comes In when it received its premiere at The Customs House in August last year and when it returned in March.

“Without giving too much away, Part 1 dealt very much with the aftermath of the First World War and Part 2 focuses a lot more on how Jack settles into life during peacetime.

Peter is fulsome in his praise of Jamie’s take on the character, made famous in the TV series, which ran from 1976 to 1981, by Sunderland-born actor James Bolam.

He said: “Jamie’s Jack is different, of course, but I find him totally engaging. It’s a massively demanding role and Jamie has stepped up to the mark. I couldn’t have asked for more.”

When the Boat Comes In Part 2: The Hungry Years runs from Thursday, September 12, to Saturday, September 28, with performances at 7.30pm each day and 2.30pm on Thursdays and Saturdays.

Tickets, priced from £16, are available from the box office.

Picture caption: Writer Peter Mitchell, director Katy Weir and Jamie Brown as Jack Ford.